How JRsFabrics got started
Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?
My name is Judy Williams, and I am the inspiration behind JR's Fabrics. I love fabrics and live and breathe fabrics. My favourite and best things to do are: buying fabrics; scrolling through designer books; looking at all the gorgeous fabric releases coming up; and just wishing I could buy them all. Needless to say, we do have a large range of fabrics, ranging from the cutest baby designs to some very scary looking Halloween fabrics
I didn’t actually plan to start JRs, but JRs started me. I had been sewing for a lot of years, making clothes for 7 children, and with the 5 girls into dancing, you can imagine how many dance costumes there were.
In 2013, I found a new hobby with my middle daughter, Racheal, called "quilting". Within 6 months, the amount of fabric on hand had exploded and had taken over one bedroom of my home completely.
Hubby said, "Time for some to go."
I put some fabric on Facebook, which sold very quickly. Other Fabriholics started asking if I had certain themes they were looking for. And of course I had to go looking. By this stage, the fabric had taken over 2 bedrooms, and I needed a website. As I am a technically challenged person and not very good at this sort of thing, I had to use a "follow the dots" Youtube video to create a website. Fabricohics from other countries started contacting me regarding themes they were looking for. I went looking for a platform I could trust where I could send internationally as well as within Australia. Etsy seemed to be the platform to go with. We joined and have not looked back.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
What are my favorite items in my shop? All of our fabrics are my favorites. This is a very hard question to answer.
Our history is filled with men and women who have put their own lives on the line to protect us and keep our way of life. Kennard and Kennard have started collections to thank everyone who served in the Army, Navy, Lighthorse, or even the animals.
Susybee Designs are also fantastic. She features playful, happy animals oozing personality in all her collections.
Australian Indiginous artists have a completely unique style of design.
I am a country girl at heart, so I have included this one. Also, my brother-in-law is a shearer.
Getting sales on Etsy
How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?
I had my first sale on Etsy in the first few days of opening, which I think from memory was an international sale, and I was thrilled as that was a big reason why I had joined Etsy, for international exposure.
Every customer is unique, so we provide the best customer service possible, and our friends return frequently. We do have a Facebook page and try to send out a newsletter each week. Also, Etsy search
Managing JRsFabrics
How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?
Originally it was my daughter Racheal and I when we first started, but then, as things change in life, she moved too far away to be able to continue, so I was on my own for a couple of years. Now there are 5 of us and a little granddaughter that comes in once a week to be sticker girl.
We do post each day and also aim to get all the orders from the previous day out, even ones that have come in that morning. I am very old school and orders are printed off and then sorted into international, parcels, and letters and picked manually . We do use Australia Post for all our mail.
MYOB is the accounting package we use for all payroll, sales, and expenses.
This is a tongue in cheek video of our behind the scenes at JR's: https://fb.watch/fHnSXJOcFn/
The future of JRsFabrics
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
My goal is to keep doing what we are doing, having fun and sharing beautiful fabrics.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
My advice to a new seller is to love what you are doing, treat your customers with respect, as without them you wouldn’t be a seller, and don't be in a rush to get to the top of the mountain. Enjoy and learn as you go.
